Used printer cartridges of fax machines, copiers, inkjet printers, and laser printers are often remanufactured. The process of remanufacturing a printer cartridge may include cleaning the cartridge, repairing damaged parts, replacing worn parts, or replenishing the cartridge with toner. The process of remanufacturing a toner printer cartridge requires that the toner cartridge be disassembled so that access to the various parts can be achieved, and further requires that the toner printer cartridge be reassembled for subsequent use.
Toner printer cartridges typically have two main parts—the toner hopper and the waste hopper. The toner is typically stored in the toner hopper. Toner is usually added into the printer cartridge by pouring toner into a toner hopper, which defines a toner opening port. During or after remanufacturing, the toner opening port usually has to be sealed so that toner will not leak during shipment and anytime prior to the use of the cartridge.
Existing toner opening port sealing methods include the use of split seals and insertion seals. The use of split seals requires splitting printer cartridge portions, such as a magnetic roller section and the toner hopper, so that the toner opening port can be accessed to install the split seal. The use of a split seal often involves more resources than the use of insertion seals, as time and labor need to be spent on splitting the cartridge and reassembling the split cartridge.
Insertion seals typically do not require splitting of the printer cartridge and are typically installed in the printer cartridge by insertion through toner exit ports. Toner exit ports are openings that are adjacent to the toner opening ports and that lead to the toner opening ports. In some toner printer cartridges, toner exit port plugs are used to cover and prevent toner leakage around the toner exit ports. At least one problem with the use of existing insertion seals is that when they are detached from the printer cartridge just before use, insertion seals can pull along with them the toner exit port plugs. The toner exit port plugs get displaced, and toner is allowed to leak. In addition, when existing insertion seals are inserted into the toner hopper, such existing insertion seals can damage foam sealing portions (see reference number 40 of FIG. 7C) that are designed to prevent toner leaks from the toner hopper. If the foam sealing portions are damaged, toner can leak from the toner hopper.
In addition, existing toner hopper seals can make subsequent cycles of remanufacturing of toner printer cartridges difficult in that such seals can decrease the ease of separating the toner printer cartridge in the next remanufacturing cycle.
In addition, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically orient and align the parts of an OEM toner printer cartridge together by ultrasonic or plastic welding. For example, toner cartridge parts that may be welded together by ultrasonic or plastic welding may include the toner hopper and the waste hopper, the end caps and the toner hopper such as the contact end cap and the toner hopper, and the end plates and the waste hopper. Such parts may also be held together with one or more fasteners, such as screws, or another type of fastener. During the remanufacturing disassembly process, the welded parts are typically detached from each other by breaking or cutting the ultrasonic or plastic welds and/or the fasteners. The breaking or cutting process may involve using conventional tools, such as blades, screw drivers, and rotary tools, in combination with force to break or cut the ultrasonic or plastic welds and/or the fasteners. As a result of such breaking or cutting, the original weld and fastener locations may not have sufficient material left to be secured with new fasteners. For example, after disassembly, threaded holes or openings may have stripped or worn threads that do not allow a fastener, such as a threaded screw, to adequately secure the disassembled toner cartridge parts back together.
In the process of remanufacturing, known devices and methods exist for securing back together disassembled toner printer cartridge parts such as toner hoppers and parts that attach to toner hoppers. Such known devices and methods include using adhesives or glues to secure the disassembled toner cartridge parts back together. However, such known adhesives or glues can increase the time for remanufacturing the toner printer cartridge, as there is typically a waiting period of minutes or hours required for sufficient bonding of the toner cartridge parts with the adhesive or glue. Moreover, keeping the toner printer cartridge parts properly aligned while waiting for the adhesive or glue to bond can be challenging and can increase the overall time for remanufacturing. In addition, such adhesives or glues can bond the toner printer cartridge parts so strongly together that subsequent disassembly and separation for additional cycles of remanufacturing can be difficult, resulting in decreased efficiency in the remanufacturing process or possible damage to the toner cartridge.
Other known devices and methods of securing disassembled toner printer cartridge parts back together include performing ultrasonic or plastic welding at the original weld location or at another location on the toner cartridge. However, such ultrasonic and plastic welding can be complex processes requiring expensive equipment and machinery and can increase the overall cost of remanufacturing. Moreover, such ultrasonic and plastic welding can join the toner printer cartridge parts so strongly together that subsequent disassembly and separation for additional cycles of remanufacturing can be difficult, resulting in decreased efficiency in the remanufacturing process or possible damage to the toner printer cartridge.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for remanufactured toner printer cartridges that overcomes the issues associated with known apparatuses and methods.